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Monday, August 03, 2009

After leaving Antigua (a bit delayed by rain) we headed south-west to Montserrat, home of the hemi-mythical Montserrat Oriole. Our accommodation for the three nights there was in the house of Georrge Martin of Beatles fame! He used to stay up there when his studio, Air Studios, was active, but now he and his wife come along for about a month each winter (The husband of the lovely Margaret Wilson who made our food there apparently taught Sting to windsurf while he was up there recording).While you are pondering on me diving into GM's pool under the Caribbean sun, here are some photos...Olveston House, George Martin's home where we had the pleasure of staying (I had Sir George's bedroom!)Iguana grazing before he went to check out the poolsideAn iguana enjoying the edge of George Martin's pool at Olveston HouseYoung American Kestrels in the garden of Olveston HouseView south from Olveston House (the big volcano is hidden in cloud behind this smaller hill)George Martin's Air Studios were housed in the building in the middle left of this photo (I think...)A sort of darter, I believeNew housing in the north of the islandLong-tailed SkipperA Jack Spaniard wasp. The locals seem to use this name for all wasps we saw...

Bridled Quail-doveA pipe-living lizardOur first Montserrat Oriole was on our guide Scriber's car...TrailsThis bug came to visit us at Ziggy's Restaurant on our last nightScriber congratulates his cousin Stephen Daly on yet another excellent flight shotScaly-breasted ThrasherSome kind of spiny fruitBrown Trembler on its nest stumpA grassGround orchidElephant earsA grasshopper at the cliffs in the northScriber scans the cliffs for Red-billed TropicbirdsThere were three Red-billed Tropicbirds past these cliffs when we arrived, but they didn't reappearScaly-naped Pigeon. In Antigua, White-crowned Pigeons were dominant, but on Montserrat Scaly-naped Pigeons were much commonerThe rainbow of hopeMagnificent FrigatebirdsOur boat trip south to see Plymouth (see above) was with Troy of Green Monkey Dive Shop at Little Bay Beach